I’m a huge advocate for building out daily rituals that align with one’s goals. If you want to write a book, you’ve got to read daily, write daily, and learn about writing daily. If you want to be in good shape, exercise daily, eat right daily, meditate daily, drink water daily, and sleep daily.

It’s the little teeny steps you take toward your goals that get you to where you want to go. Writing a book is easy, if you write a little of your book every day. Learning a new language is easy, if you learn a new word or phrase every day. Getting stronger is easy if you build your strength a little each day. Get it?

The small deeds John Burroughs recommends are the little steps you take toward your goals. Taking one small step is so much more effective than planning how you’ll take that step or that you intend to take a step. Just take the step and you’ll be one step closer to your goals and what you want in life.

Don’t rush it. Artists build their paintings in stages. Authors write their stories in layers. You start with an outline; you flesh it out, then you go back and refine, as the picture in your mind becomes more clear. You can’t or won’t complete all of this in a day or a week. Take your time. Be patient. Be consistent.

Stop talking about what you will do and start doing it. Take small steps. You will get there.